Windows and Shadows
by CC.Lda
Summary: Everyone's haunted. Looking through a window Arthur thinks about his life and it's interrupted by Ariadne. They start talking about Shadows and how nothing it's really what it seams.


**A.N.:** Hi, it's been a while since I published anything. This little piece was inspired on a graphic, which you can check here on my tumblr if you look for :_/post/3390002807/ariadne-he-called-she-trembled-she-was , _Hope you like it. It'll probably go on, but I'm submitting as an one-shot in case I decide not to continue xD

**Windows and Shadows**

- Ariadne! - he called.  
She trembled. She was hiding and almost 100% sure he hadn't see her, but alas, it seams he had. She came out of hiding and looked at him, he smiled and with a head gesture told her to look at the window.  
Ariadne walked slowly towards him and looked out the window. The people outside seamed to be looking at the window as nothing else existed. They had notice she shouldn't be there either, maybe that's how he knew she was there.  
- What are you doing here?  
She smiled. It was a sad smile, but a smile still.  
- I was worried… You have been working late hours and…  
- That's… - he started with an angry voice just to stop.  
She looked at him and he took a deep breath as continued to look outside. Everyone had stoped walking and now where just looking at the window. It was a scary vision.  
- You shouldn't be here… - he said more to himself than to her before looking at her in the eyes - You more than anyone should know you can't enter other peoples dream without knowing what you're about to face… - he closed his jacket - You're an architect, God dammit!  
She smiled. Again a sad smile.  
- So it seams…  
- What? - he asked.  
She knew he was worried about the people outside, about what they could do to them when they got to them. She had been stabbed once and she wasn't in the mood to be stabbed, beaten or shot ever again.  
- That I'm an architect… - she answered.  
He nodded.  
- Arthur?  
He was still looking out the window.  
- Hmmm?  
- You know that I love you, right?  
He stopped looking at the window and looked at her. A mist of shock an amazement ran trough his face. She rolled her eyes.  
- Didn't saw that one coming, did you? - she asked.  
He smiled. No. He didn't. He had always thought he would say it first.  
- That's why you're worried?  
She smiled and crossed her arms.  
- What's the job?  
He raised his eyebrows.  
- Why do you wanna know?  
She rolled her eyes.  
- You went to get Cobb and the others, and yet, you didn't call me…  
He nodded.  
- That's true…  
- So that means it's not an easy or safe job…  
He nodded again.  
- Also true…  
- I made an inception, God dammit, Arthur! - she was furious, and she had the right to be, he knew that - what in the world is so dangerous that you couldn't call me? That you had to pick another freaking architect, which by the way, doesn't even know what she's doing…  
She rolled her eyes, she had seen her plan, and for the love of God, even a first grade could come up with better labyrinths than her. If Cobb had tested her, then he had been in a very relaxed day, because if she had done a maze like hers, he would have never chosen her, that was for sure. Arthur smiled and she knew what his next move was going to be.  
- Oh that she knows… She's doing…  
She rolled her eyes again. Men.  
- Don't give me details! Just tell me why… - she took a deep breath - And then I'll shoot myself and get out…  
He took a deep breath and looked at her.  
- Ok, I'm gonna tell you…  
She smiled, she didn't knew how hard it would be to tell her the true. He took another deep breath.  
- My subconscious is creating a Shadow of you, and we are trying to destroy it before it becomes another Mal…  
She stopped breathing. Outside was now a group of people with anger in their eyes. They would come in any minute now and kill them.  
- What?  
- You didn't hear me? My…  
- I did! - she answered quickly - but… Why? I'm alive! Why a Shadow?  
He raised his shoulders.  
- I image because I couldn't come with terms with my feelings for you… So it created a fake you, so I could face them… - he grinned - If we could control our subconscious we would have power beyond measure…  
She was still looking outside. Trying to make sense of all he had said.  
- So, you understand why we can't bring you… - he hold her face with his hands - How will we know which one is really you and which one is the Shadow if there are two of you?  
She nooded.  
- Yeah… So the bad architect…  
He smiled.  
- It was a trick to pull the Shadow out of hiding, you know Ariadne, that you would never understand why we had hired such a lousy architect…  
- Oh…  
- Ariadne?  
- Yeah?  
He smiled and kissed her.  
- I love you…  
She smiled as he continue talking:  
- And one day I'm gonna tell you that…  
She blinked.  
- One day I'm gonna tell the real you that I love you, I cherish you and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe…  
She looked shocked.  
- I don't think I understand… You're talking to me, you're…  
He picked a gun and pointed it at her head.  
- You're the Shadow…  
She gave a step back.  
- No! No! I'm real!  
He had a sad smile in his face.  
- No, you think you're real, because my mind is telling you that…  
She started trembling.  
- No! I, I have my bishop with me, I'm real!  
He shocked his head.  
- Ariadne, I'm in New York, in a freaking penthouse, you're in France, finishing your PhD and you don't have that scarf with you any more, I took it with me…  
She blinked her eyes.  
- You what? - she took her hands to her scarf - Why?  
He was still with that sad smile in his face.  
- Because the real you couldn't bring it to the dream… - she hear the click of the weapon - You see, that scarf was the last thing I saw and I knew the Shadow would wear it…  
She grinned.  
- Then your subconscious is stupid…  
- Well, I'm stupid…  
She nodded.  
- I really believe I'm real…  
He nodded.  
- I know… But you're not…  
- Well, tell me you love me then… - she blinked - the real me whatever…  
- You already know it…  
She blinked her eyes again.  
- Really?  
He smiled.  
- Yeah, that's why I'm here to kill you… I'm killing you for real…  
And then he shot. Somewhere in France, Ariadne opened her eyes lying by her side Arthur looked at her. She had turned like mad during her sleep waking him up, he was just about to wake her when she opened her eyes. He put a hand upon her face before asking:  
- Is everything okay?  
- I don't know… - she said still half-asleep - you shot me in my dream…  
He grinned as he rolled his eyes.  
- Again?  
- Yeah…  
He took a deep breath.  
- That's a powerful Shadow you have there…  
She grinned and shocked her head.  
- It's just a stupid nightmare… Not a Shadow… I'll get over it soon…  
He smiled and kissed her. He had been away for a few months, taking some jobs all over the world, and so had her. They had been parted at the time and had to face their Shadows. When they found out about one another, they got back together, the shadows had slowly disappeared and now they always worked as a team.  
- I know you will…  
She smiled and hugged him as she felt asleep again.

**The end?**

**AN: **Like I said, I may turn this into a longer fic xD What do you think? ^^**  
**


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